An apple for the teacher?

No longer an apple...now it seems pressies are required.
I have been in several shops over the last few weeks where shelves are dedicated to presents for teachers from students who are moving up a class.
The thoughts very nice, but some of these gifts are around the £10 mark.
Will this be one more thing....along with expensive trainers and party gift bags that hard up parents will be brow beaten into buying?

Is this another American idea?

Syl wrote:No longer an apple...now it seems pressies are required.
I have been in several shops over the last few weeks where shelves are dedicated to presents for teachers from students who are moving up a class.
The thoughts very nice, but some of these gifts are around the £10 mark.
Will this be one more thing....along with expensive trainers and party gift bags that hard up parents will be brow beaten into buying?

Easy way to get around this.
Buy a very good thank you card, but to be open on what was good and poor.
The teacher is going to best learn by those who are going to be their best critics. The children themselves.
The child can then expand either way on the positives and negatives of that teacher. On what they did well and what they could work on being better at.

I mean I cannot think of a better gift a teacher could have. That of the child themselves can point out what they thought was great and what they think that teacher can then work on.

Of course most teachers would no doubt find it difficult and be shocked to learn what possible faults they may have when it comes from the kids they taught. Buts its what is needed to also help them be great teaches. Of course some of that criticism may just be formed from a dislike, but even that can be learned from. As to why that went wrong.

A good teacher would then weigh up those responses and take on board any criticism, along side the praises.

Or is this just bribery for favourable assistance etc from teacher towards their child...!?

Tommy Monk wrote:

Or is this just bribery for favourable assistance etc from teacher towards their child...!?

I don't think so as the pressies are given when the child leaves that particular teacher.

nicko wrote:Is this another American idea?

Possibly...its daft enough.

Thorin wrote:

Syl wrote:No longer an apple...now it seems pressies are required.
I have been in several shops over the last few weeks where shelves are dedicated to presents for teachers from students who are moving up a class.
The thoughts very nice, but some of these gifts are around the £10 mark.
Will this be one more thing....along with expensive trainers and party gift bags that hard up parents will be brow beaten into buying?

Easy way to get around this.
Buy a very good thank you card, but to be open on what was good and poor.
The teacher is going to best learn by those who are going to be their best critics. The children themselves.
The child can then expand either way on the positives and negatives of that teacher. On what they did well and what they could work on being better at.

I mean I cannot think of a better gift a teacher could have. That of the child themselves can point out what they thought was great and what they think that teacher can then work on.

Of course most teachers would no doubt find it difficult and be shocked to learn what possible faults they may have when it comes from the kids they taught. Buts its what is needed to also help them be great teaches. Of course some of that criticism may just be formed from a dislike, but even that can be learned from. As to why that went wrong.

A good teacher would then weigh up those responses and take on board any criticism, along side the praises.

Good idea....and the joy of criticising that particular teacher is the kid will no longer be in their class....so safe from repercussions.

I actually think a home made card rather than a bought one would be nice....its the thought that counts. x

I read today that one of the most unusual presents a teacher was given by a pupil was....a daddy long legs in a matchbox.

We gave nothing when we left school, just a cheer!  

Syl wrote:

Thorin wrote:


Easy way to get around this.
Buy a very good thank you card, but to be open on what was good and poor.
The teacher is going to best learn by those who are going to be their best critics. The children themselves.
The child can then expand either way on the positives and negatives of that teacher. On what they did well and what they could work on being better at.

I mean I cannot think of a better gift a teacher could have. That of the child themselves can point out what they thought was great and what they think that teacher can then work on.

Of course most teachers would no doubt find it difficult and be shocked to learn what possible faults they may have when it comes from the kids they taught. Buts its what is needed to also help them be great teaches. Of course some of that criticism may just be formed from a dislike, but even that can be learned from. As to why that went wrong.

A good teacher would then weigh up those responses and take on board any criticism, along side the praises.

Good idea....and the joy of criticising that particular teacher is the kid will no longer be in their class....so safe from repercussions.

I actually think a home made card rather than a bought one would be nice....its the thought that counts. x

I read today that one of the most unusual presents a teacher was given by a pupil was....a daddy long legs in a matchbox.

Ahh that is so sweet, to give the teacher a pet. Unless the kid knew they were petrified of them



On the later, that kid should advance a few years. As must be a genius.

magica wrote:We gave nothing when we left school, just a cheer!  

Er we pelted a few with eggs and flower as a thank you after my o'levels   

Regretted it when back in the sixth form.  

Syl wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:

Or is this just bribery for favourable assistance etc from teacher towards their child...!?

I don't think so as the pressies are given when the child leaves that particular teacher.

Payment for favours...!?

And next teacher gets the heads up as to what rewards can be achieved if they look after certain kids etc...

The day we left senior school we all took our blouses off and had the teachers sign them. (we did take another top to wear for modesty's sake)
Most of the girls were crying....I was the same as Mags, I was cheering.

We were also given a bible each....I don't think that happens anymore.

Thorin wrote:

Syl wrote:

Good idea....and the joy of criticising that particular teacher is the kid will no longer be in their class....so safe from repercussions.

I actually think a home made card rather than a bought one would be nice....its the thought that counts. x

I read today that one of the most unusual presents a teacher was given by a pupil was....a daddy long legs in a matchbox.

Ahh that is so sweet, to give the teacher a pet. Unless the kid knew they were petrified of them  



On the later, that kid should advance a few years. As must be a genius.

The teacher was probably scared stiff....I would run a mile, hate anything that creepy crawls with more legs than me.

Tommy Monk wrote:

Syl wrote:

I don't think so as the pressies are given when the child leaves that particular teacher.

Payment for favours...!?

And next teacher gets the heads up as to what rewards can be achieved if they look after certain kids etc...

Hmmm....only a cynic would think bribery was the key motive.

Syl wrote:

Thorin wrote:

Ahh that is so sweet, to give the teacher a pet. Unless the kid knew they were petrified of them  



On the later, that kid should advance a few years. As must be a genius.

The teacher was probably scared stiff....I would run a mile, hate anything that creepy crawls with more legs than me.

They must be an Einstein, with a great sense of humour....

Thorin wrote:

Syl wrote:

The teacher was probably scared stiff....I would run a mile, hate anything that creepy crawls with more legs than me.

They must be an Einstein, with a great sense of humour....

I cant find the list I saw about the 10 oddest leaving presents....but I know the daddy long legs topped it.

If it was a primary school kid I bet it was a treasured possession...awww.

Syl wrote:

Thorin wrote:


They must be an Einstein, with a great sense of humour....

I cant find the list I saw about the 10 oddest leaving presents....but I know the daddy long legs topped it.

If it was a primary school kid I bet it was a treasured possession...awww.

To be honest Syl, I bet it was innocent, as to how and why the kid gave the present???

Thorin wrote:

Syl wrote:

I cant find the list I saw about the 10 oddest leaving presents....but I know the daddy long legs topped it.

If it was a primary school kid I bet it was a treasured possession...awww.

To be honest Syl, I bet it was innocent, as to how and why the kid gave the present???

Well ...child may have said to the parent, shall I buy Miss a bottle of prosecco or a big box of chocolates as a leaving present, or shall I give her my pet daddy long legs?...and the parent would possibly reply, 'she would love the personal touch, how thoughtful........here's a match box'.

Syl wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:


Payment for favours...!?

And next teacher gets the heads up as to what rewards can be achieved if they look after certain kids etc...

Hmmm....only a cynic would think bribery was the key motive.

I may be cynical... but you must admit that it is dangerous territory for public servants to be in receipt of expensive gifts from people who they are dealing with in an offical capacity, and where their involvement in said dealings/decisions etc must be strictly independent/impartial etc...!?

A clear conflict of interest going on here...!

And where do you draw the line of what is deemed acceptable gift... a cheap bottle of wine for a fiver, or an expensive rare vintage bottle that teacher could sell on ebay for 100 or even 1000 quid...?

Is it a pair of cheap 30 quid trainers... or some top of the range 5000 quid jewel encrusted dodo skinned jimmy choo flip flops that teacher can sell on ebay...??

Why not just start giving teacher some loaded up store cards or hundreds of quids worth of vouchers etc...???

Then why not just bung them brown envelopes of cash instead, so they can just treat themselves to whaever they really want...!!!???


Can you really not see anything wrong with this...?

I thought it was illegal for a public servant to accept any gift !

Do teachers even want gifts? If they got them from all the children they'd end up with tons of stuff which they could probably never use.

Raggamuffin wrote:Do teachers even want gifts? If they got them from all the children they'd end up with tons of stuff which they could probably never use.

Some of the gifts specifically aimed to give to teachers are very nice, though I imagine several mugs bearing the words "To the best teacher ever" would be a bit unwelcome. A nice hand written note would be better.

I can see some pushy parents trying to outdo other mothers with the gifts they buy for teachers....a bit like some always have to buy the most expensive party bags when their kids have a party.

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Do teachers even want gifts? If they got them from all the children they'd end up with tons of stuff which they could probably never use.

Some of the gifts specifically aimed to give to teachers are very nice, though I imagine several mugs bearing the words "To the best teacher ever" would be a bit unwelcome. A nice hand written note would be better.

I can see some pushy parents trying to outdo other mothers with the gifts they buy for teachers....a bit like some always have to buy the most expensive party bags when their kids have a party.

I'm sure they're very nice, but where do they put them all? As you say, where do they put all the mugs/body lotion/hand cream/bath bombs? Chocolates would be nice, but they could end up a wee bit overweight.

A radio discussion about this suggested that bottles of Prosecco would be very welcome.
Not very wise sending a 5 year old kid into school with a bottle of fizz though.

eddie wrote:All mums in my daughter's class put £10 each in an envelope and bought vouchers for the teacher and the TA.
They ended up with £75 each in vouchers.  They cried and were so grateful.

That's nice for the teacher, but I imagine many parents, especially if they have more than one child at school expected to buy the teacher a present, would be hard pressed to find the extra money.

Is this a relatively new idea? I never knew of it when my son was at school....and its not long since my grandkids left and they didn't buy the teachers presents either.

I think its one more pressure to put parents under...a nice hand written card should suffice imo.

eddie wrote:Like everything else, it's all got rather silly. I'd rather put a tenner in with everyone else and let them buy something. I wouldn't waste my money on cups and flowers and pencil holders. It's all crap that gets thrown away.

My son had a particularly nice teacher once who really spent time with him as he was gifted in literacy. We bought her a lovely ornate Chinese mug for her pens (she still had it years later too) and we made her a personalised "school report" as though she were the student.
She loved it.

I bet she treasures those gifts because thought has gone into them.

I was surprised this year to see shelves in department stores dedicated to gifts for teachers, lots of crap but also some expensive gift sets.....its just another money making game, and it will put some parents under pressure to keep up with everyone else.

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